Thursday, February 5

How to Handle a Mistake at Work

Even if you
didn't watch the Superbowl, I'm sure by now you've read or heard about
the Seattle Seahawks' coach Pete Carroll's costly mistake in the final
seconds of last weekend's championship game. The gist of it is that, instead of
calling a safe running play, Carroll called a riskier passing play that was
intercepted by New England Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler. The
Patriots gained possession and won the game. Since then, Carroll has been under fire for making a costly mistake on
an international platform.

Ouch. Regardless of which team you support (if any), it is hard not to feel his pain. Making mistakes at work, big or small, can be the source of much stress and turmoil.

These work mistakes seem to fall into two broad categories: job-related errors and faux pas. The
job-related errors are painful. You send the report to the wrong
client. You miss an important meeting or deadline. You misinterpret
data and broadcast your wrong conclusion at a meeting with colleagues.
The moment you realize your mistake, you feel stupid, embarrassed, and
awkward. You may start to fear that everyone thinks you aren't right
for your job.

The awkward, social mistakes we make aren't any less painful. Your boss walks by
your office the moment you are on the phone
giving your friend animated advice about how to tell her mother-in-law
to mind her own business. You forget to invite a co-worker out for
happy hour, only to see him walk by the bar a half hour later raising an
eyebrow at the crowd of familiar colleagues that you have amassed. You
hit "reply all" instead of "reply" with a snarky comment about the
timing of an upcoming meeting, accidentally alerting the entire working
group to your annoyance at yet another 6:00pm Friday meeting. Again, you feel stupid, embarrassed, and fearful.

So
what are you to do? Fake a conference call and lock yourself in your
office? Pretend nothing happened and move on? Regardless of the type
of mistake, you know the answer. The most direct approach is always the
best route.
Get out in front of the error and admit fault as soon as possible. Own
it. Do not pretend it didn't happen (if you noticed it, there is a 100%
chance everyone else did too). Genuinely apologize, explain yourself,
don't make
excuses, and admit that you will need to do better. Remember that finding
peace and harmony at work is all about your connections. Reaching
out to make that initial connection with the aggrieved party (or
parties) after you mess up may be painful, but it's necessary and the
sooner, the better. You will be surprised how quickly your mistake
blows over once you address it with integrity.

If you need inspiration, watch the first few minutes of Matt Lauer's interview with Pete Carroll. There are 100 different ways he could have spun his error, but notice how his willingness to openly discuss his role with honesty and humility adds to his credibility as a valued coach.

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About Sherry Schiller

is an organizational coach and strategist. She develops strategic solutions for overcoming obstacles that prevent organizations from achieving sustained success, and can work with your organization to eliminate the gap between desired performance and current reality. Schiller Center website >>